Melanie Lynskey
Birthday: 16 May 1977, New Plymouth, New Zealand
Birth Name: Melanie Jayne Lynskey
Height: 170 cm
At 16 years of age, Melanie Lynskey captivated audiences with her explosive debut in Peter Jackson's Academy Award-nominated Heavenly Creatures (1994), achieving worldwide acclaim and a Best Actr ...Show More
[on directors] Everybody has a different style. Clint Eastwood is a great, great director - but he b Show more
[on directors] Everybody has a different style. Clint Eastwood is a great, great director - but he barely says anything. The magical thing about the way he works is that he creates an environment that feels like a church, kind of - it feels so sacred and comfortable - and everybody's just relaxed, doing the best work they can do. It's weird, there's not a lot of talking or communicating... And then there are some directors who talk and talk and talk and talk, like Sam Mendes; you talk about everything and go over everything. So everybody's very different, and I've done movies with first-time directors who are just on it, and amazing. Then, sometimes, I've done movies with people who have directed a few movies, and you're like, "I don't know how to communicate with you; don't know what you're asking me to do right now." It's like a relationship. Hide
[on Rose Red (2002)] I wasn't allowed to do anything quirky, or to have an interesting accent. So th Show more
[on Rose Red (2002)] I wasn't allowed to do anything quirky, or to have an interesting accent. So the challenge lay in making [the character] as interesting as I could without making her unusual. And that was hard! Hide
I was really shy as a child. I walked around with a constant fear that I'd say something stupid and Show more
I was really shy as a child. I walked around with a constant fear that I'd say something stupid and be laughed at, or that people were looking at me and thinking I wasn't pretty enough, interesting enough, smart enough. When I discovered acting, I felt an immense freedom. I felt like I could explore different aspects of myself without fear of judgement. I was able to be brave in a way that was really hard for me in real life. Hide
I don't think I'll ever be a movie star.
I don't think I'll ever be a movie star.
I want to be like Julianne Moore and get to do things that scare me--and keep on doing them until I' Show more
I want to be like Julianne Moore and get to do things that scare me--and keep on doing them until I'm very old. Hide
[on the success of Two and a Half Men (2003)] It seems funny to me that it's all worked so well. I h Show more
[on the success of Two and a Half Men (2003)] It seems funny to me that it's all worked so well. I have so much respect for the people who do this. It's so hard to keep the energy up and to make people laugh. Hide
The female actors I have been most inspired by are all very sure of who they are as human beings and Show more
The female actors I have been most inspired by are all very sure of who they are as human beings and as artists. They're solid, good, kind people. They trust their instincts, and are focused on making honest work that moves people. They're kind to the crew, to fellow actors, and to women in general... Even in challenging conditions, they are gracious... The main women who come to mind who have inspired me most having seen them in action are Anjelica Huston, Katrin Cartlidge, Tina Holmes, Jessica Hecht, Amy Poehler, Lena Dunham, Amy Ryan, Catherine O'Hara, and Kathy Najimy. Hide
The first audition I ever did, the casting director said, "I don't know why you're here. You're neve Show more
The first audition I ever did, the casting director said, "I don't know why you're here. You're never going to work in America. You don't look right. You don't have the right kind of personality. I don't even know if you can do an American accent. Maybe you can try England." Other people were nice, but that's the first thing I ever heard when I came here. It made me more determined. Hide
The most beautiful people to me are those who seem at peace within themselves and give of themselves Show more
The most beautiful people to me are those who seem at peace within themselves and give of themselves generously. Also I think eyeliner is magic. Hide
I know a lot of actors have all these expectations and believe that one thing should lead to another Show more
I know a lot of actors have all these expectations and believe that one thing should lead to another thing and that's probably the right way to build a career. I don't know what's wrong with me--I just don't think like that! Hide
[on working with Charlie Sheen] We get on terribly. I can't stand him. No, he's great. He's really q Show more
[on working with Charlie Sheen] We get on terribly. I can't stand him. No, he's great. He's really quiet and shy and sweet. Hide
When I was doing The Informant! (2009), Matt Damon said something to me that I really have lived by Show more
When I was doing The Informant! (2009), Matt Damon said something to me that I really have lived by ever since... "At the end of your career, when someone looks over your filmography, all they remember is if the movie was good or not." They're not saying, "Oh, he got to play that crazy character!" or, "Oh, all those people were in that movie"... so, if you consistently choose good scripts - whether you're in three scenes or every scene - you're going to build a very strong résumé. At the end of your life, you'll be in a lot of movies that you can feel proud of, and it's such a nice feeling to be a part of something that you really believe in. So even if it's just a couple of scenes, if I think the movie is good, I'll do it. Hide
I like to play the grey areas in life - that's the most uncomfortable place to be. Nobody likes to b Show more
I like to play the grey areas in life - that's the most uncomfortable place to be. Nobody likes to be in that in-between state where they don't know what's going to happen. There's a lot of tension in that, and a lot of stuff to play with - where it's uncomfortable and awkward and sad and scary. Hide
[on her ability to perfect an American accent] When I first came [to Los Angeles] I stayed with Joss Show more
[on her ability to perfect an American accent] When I first came [to Los Angeles] I stayed with Joss Whedon and his wife... He had this insane video collection, and I'd just sit and watch all these films and try to imitate every accent I heard. I remember watching Juliette Lewis and trying to do her white trash accent. I would just talk back to all these movies--they were my dialect coach. Hide
The thing that I really, really don't like is when [a director] is overly specific, when you walk in Show more
The thing that I really, really don't like is when [a director] is overly specific, when you walk into a rehearsal and someone says: "Now you walk over here, and you open the cupboard, and you take this out. Then you stand here and you deliver this line." And they give you line readings. I don't like feeling like somebody doesn't trust me to bring what I'm going to bring to it... I get really claustrophobic when somebody's trying to control it, because then I'm like, "Why? You should have gotten another actor!" Hide
[on life after Heavenly Creatures (1994)] I think the hardest thing was to go back to school. It's a Show more
[on life after Heavenly Creatures (1994)] I think the hardest thing was to go back to school. It's a pretty catty environment at an all-girls school and things happened. For example, 60 Minutes (1993) came to do a story on me and followed me around for a day. At school you just don't need that. And then I would have to go to New York or Sydney for a week and take time out. And while they were amazing experiences, it was hard because I had these two completely separate lives. I think a lot of people resented that. It put me outside of them a bit. Hide
You always see those movies that have amazing casts, and it's funny to be in one of them. It's a lis Show more
You always see those movies that have amazing casts, and it's funny to be in one of them. It's a list of all these fantastic people--and, oh, me as well. Hide
[on Charlie Sheen's reaction to her New Zealand accent] He turned around and said, "What's this, uh, Show more
[on Charlie Sheen's reaction to her New Zealand accent] He turned around and said, "What's this, uh, voice? What are you doing?" I said, "I'm just talking." Then he said, "Hmmm. Is that some kind of actor-y thing?" Hide
I feel so grateful when I see a movie and there's a woman who looks somewhat like me. I'm like, "Tha Show more
I feel so grateful when I see a movie and there's a woman who looks somewhat like me. I'm like, "Thank you, Samantha Morton!" You know, a woman who feels like a human being. That means so much to me. If I can be that person for someone, that's a much more powerful thing than me trying to starve myself or shrink myself and become something that I'm not. Hide
[on working with Steven Soderbergh] It was the greatest experience... If Steven called me up tomorro Show more
[on working with Steven Soderbergh] It was the greatest experience... If Steven called me up tomorrow and said, "Will you come bring Matt Damon a cup of tea in this scene?" I would say "Yes, absolutely." Hide
[on Short Cuts (1993)] This movie was a big one for me. I saw it when I was sixteen and [thought] "Y Show more
[on Short Cuts (1993)] This movie was a big one for me. I saw it when I was sixteen and [thought] "Yep, that's the dream." I loved the idea of doing a film like that. Still, to this day, this is the movie I most wish I could insert myself into. Hide
I always thought I'd be in New Zealand doing theater. Everything I've done is greater than my greate Show more
I always thought I'd be in New Zealand doing theater. Everything I've done is greater than my greatest dreams. Hide
[on working with Kate Winslet] She had incredible ambition and drive and such a huge belief in herse Show more
[on working with Kate Winslet] She had incredible ambition and drive and such a huge belief in herself. And of course, she should have had that belief because she's a fucking genius! Hide
[...] in Montreal, this girl came up to me and said, "Has anyone ever told you that you look like Me Show more
[...] in Montreal, this girl came up to me and said, "Has anyone ever told you that you look like Melanie Lynskey?" Some [people] come up and say that they were in school with me, or that I'm a friend of someone they know. Hide
[on Hello I Must Be Going (2012)] I assumed they were giving [the part] to Michelle Williams or Magg Show more
[on Hello I Must Be Going (2012)] I assumed they were giving [the part] to Michelle Williams or Maggie Gyllenhaal... It felt like such a gift. Hide
[on the idea of a "perfect role"] I feel grateful to be working... I don't have a dream of playing a Show more
[on the idea of a "perfect role"] I feel grateful to be working... I don't have a dream of playing a one-legged Scottish drug addict. Hide
If I ever have time off and don't know what's coming up next, I get really nervous and think, 'Oh we Show more
If I ever have time off and don't know what's coming up next, I get really nervous and think, 'Oh well, it's probably over.' Hide
I feel like every job I get is kind of a fight. It's jumping through hoops and convincing people I c Show more
I feel like every job I get is kind of a fight. It's jumping through hoops and convincing people I can do it, trying to get people who are financing things to take the chance on somebody who's not famous. Hide
Melanie Lynskey's FILMOGRAPHY
as Actor (236)
Melanie Lynskey'S roles
